Roast Turkey

There's no Thanksgiving without roast turkey! This easy version is flavored with lemon and garlic. Serve with Rich Pan Gravy.

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Cal/Serv:
168

Yields:
8

Prep Time:
0
hours
20
mins

Total Time:
4
hours
15
mins

Ingredients

1
fresh turkey

1
tsp.
kosher salt

1
tsp.
freshly ground black pepper

1
small lemon

12
clove garlic

1/4
c.
unsalted butter

Directions

Place oven rack in lowest position and take out second rack. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove giblets, neck, and any fat from turkey body and neck cavities. Discard liver; reserve giblets for giblet broth. Rinse bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water; pat dry. Sprinkle neck and body cavities with half of salt mixture.

Place turkey, breast side up, in a large, heavy nonstick roasting pan. Squeeze lemon halves over turkey, then place lemon halves and garlic cloves into body cavity. Tie legs together. Twist wing tips under back. Spread butter over turkey and season with remaining salt mixture. Insert a standard meat thermometer into center of thigh next to body, not touching bone. Add 1 cup water to roasting pan. Loosely tent turkey with heavy-duty foil.

Transfer turkey to a carving board or platter. Remove garlic and lemon from cavity; reserve garlic for pan gravy. Tent turkey loosely with foil and let rest 45 minutes. Pour fat and drippings from roasting pan into a glass measuring cup. Spoon off and reserve 1/4 cup turkey fat to use for making pan gravy. Skim and discard any remaining fat from surface of drippings; reserve drippings for pan gravy. (Do not wash the roasting pan.)

Jonny Valiant

There's no Thanksgiving without roast turkey! This easy version is flavored with lemon and garlic. Serve with Rich Pan Gravy.

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